Racial slurs have no place in Bible or Mansfield

What kind of deranged person passes out Bibles with racial slurs in the cover?

It's been a while since we've seen this kind hatred rear its head in Mansfield, but when a handful of Bibles were discovered on the porches of homes of predominantly black families, we were reminded how ugly bigotry can be.

Right thinking people can't even imagine what kind of message could possibly be sent by including a message of hate with the word of God.

Police said the act is considered ethnic intimidation, meaning the racial slur was meant to threaten residents. Those responsible could face menacing charges, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. If tied to ethnic motivations, the charge could increase the offense to a third-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

When the News Journal broke the story Friday, you can imagine the reaction of outrage from the community. What follows are some of the comments from online readers:

? "Terrible, terrible, terrible. The depth of some peoples' stupidity is bottomless, and I hope Det. Scheurer is able to develop enough info on this to make arrests. If and when these scumbags appear in front of a judge, they deserve jail time, NOT probation." - Tim Clark

? "Using the Bible, the Word of God to spew hatred is blasphemy. What is wrong with this society we live in?" - Jon Freeman